An Assassin's Heart
by Lady Cosmic Brownie
Summary: His name was Ravenscorch. His Clan was that of Assassins. His leader a cold hearted she-cat bent on taking over the Clans. His duty, to assure just that happened. The first raid he and his group did was successful, and they had ThunderClan in their paws. But, on the attack of ShadowClan, plans go awry, and the worst thing possible happened to Ravenscorch: Capture. ON BRIEF HIATUS.
1. Raiding

"Ravenscorch, this is your mission, do you accept?" the shadowed cat said in a sickly purr.

Ravenscorch bowed his tabby head."Yes ma'am, I do..." he trailed off.

"What is it?" the cat hissed.

"Are you sure it is wise to... reveal ourselves like this? The Lake cats have just finished with their own war... I'm asking, is it wise to start one so soon?"

The shadowed cat blinked her white eyes in annoyance. "Are you questioning my actions? You are striking _now _because it is the best time. They are not expecting more battle, therefore, they will be off their guard. And with so many of their warriors injured and out of action, they will be easy to push over with a few attacks. Now go!"

Ravenscorch winced, and sprang away at his leader's harsh roaring growl. His paws hit the dirt path rapidly as he sped through the dark ways of the Camp. Soon, four other black and gray patterned cats joined him, running in a tight formation behind. One loped to his side.

"Which to strike first?" she murmured.

"Novastar says the Fiery Ones, the ones who call themselves ThunderClan. If we can silence a few throats, and still a few hearts, we may just be able to start war for them."

"Sabotage? I like it," she purred before melting back again.

-O-

Ravenscorch padded swiftly up the path, his group in tow. Their claws were already sticky and red with the lifeblood of the border patrol they had met. There would be no relay or news today.

"Siege-ear, the left guard, Biteswift, the right. Gorseshiver, Dawnshadow, with me," the tabby ordered.

The cats nodded, and followed in silence.

They made their way up the trail, Siege-ear and Biteswift breaking off. When the entrance guards spotted them, a large black tabby stepped forward. "Hey, what do you think you're-" He fell as Biteswift launched herself onto his back, and sank her fangs into his neck. The other guard suffered the same fate, his ripped open.

"Good, this way," Ravenscorch said. They wound into the camp, slinking around in the shadows. Ravenscorch could hear the mewling of kits. Their targets.

He hunkered down, watching. He opened his mouth, and scented the air. There was only one queen inside at the moment. Her soft voice reached his ears.

"Shush, little ones. I'm going to go get a bite of fresh kill, then I'll be right back," she said.

The queen strolled out, making a beeline to the center of the Camp. Ravenscorch waited until the queen's back was turned, and led his group into the den.

The kits, seven to be exact, all stood up, expecting their mother to be back. "Brightfeather?"

Ravenscorch chuckled softly, and bared his fangs."No, me," he growled.

He bore down on them, he and the other four making quick work of the kits. Within seconds, the kittens were nothing but lumps of bloodstained fur.

"Come on, we'd best get out of here, don't want to be-" something touched his hind leg softly, snagging the fur just above his paw.

Ravenscorch looked back. One of the kits was still alive. She had a pleading expression on her face."Why?" she choked, blood sputtering out of her mouth."Why?" her paw dropped, and her head lolled, small eyes rolling into the back of her head. She was dead.

"It had to be, I'm sorry," he said, then slunk out of the den. It had all taken less than a minute.

The group of five made a trail of bloodied paw prints, running swiftly to the ShadowClan border. They stopped at the stream and washed their paws, the trail they had created disappearing into the ThunderClan territory.

The plan was set in motion, and they could go home.

Dawnshadow shuddered at her spot next to him, her black and gray tortoise-shell coat rippling."Ugh, I hate killing kits," she hissed.

"Her Deadliness demanded it," he said simply, stepping around a log. They were nearing the pines of their home.

"So? They were kits... you're too loyal to her, you know," Dawnshadow growled in a hushed tone, carefully making sure the others didn't hear.

"Loyalty gets you placed," Ravenscorch shot at her.

"So does false loyalty. I don't know, Scorch, this feels like prickly business that's going bite me in the tail one of these days. The prickly part being Novastar."

Ravenscorch fixed her with a shocked stare. "Novastar is fixed on taking over the Clans. There must be sacrificed for this to happen. All I can see is that it will come out good in the end, even if the Lake cats hate it."

"That's not the point! They were kits. They didn't do anything wrong in their lives! I wouldn't be so sour if it had been only one, but all seven?"

He sighed, "We needed to get them riled up, start war again. While their warriors are away, the assassins will take their territory by force. Then, we go over to the ShadowClan home, and repeat what we did here. It works at every place we've tried it."

The group stopped in front of the entrance to the huge camp. Dawnshadow shook her head in disbelief. "How can you be so heartless?" she ased, then dashed into the camp after the rest of the squad.

The tabby shrugged to himself. It wasn't him doing the work. It was their leader. Can one really blame the weapon when it was the handler that misused it? He was just a tool, something that could be used several times, then thrown away when the job was done. Not that he minded at all, it was the way he had been raised. You grow up. You fight. You serve the leader. You do missions. You get too old to fight. You get thrown out and die.

It was how AssassinClan worked, and its secret to survival.


	2. ThunderClan Falls

** Goodness! The reception I got on chapter one! Three reviews in only a few hours? Usually takes days for that kind of thing. Goodness me. I didin't know this was such a good idea! Anyways, I'm back with a bang on this chapter, and what a long on it is!**

** Replying to my first reviewer, Ashlight11:**

** Thank you so much for your review! It made me dance in smarty pants. I'll get along to explaining more about the Clan as I go, adding tidbits here and there. But thank you for reviewing, and yes, that is the question of the deal, isn't it?**

** To Rainy1212: Yes, I am continuing this story, I plan to actually finish it too *gasp* I've only done that twice.**

** To Guest: Thanks, will do.**

** To all, a cyber cookie of your choosing for reviewing.**

-O-

"All assassins and apprentices, gather 'round!"

Ravenscorch yawned, and streched out of his nest in the hollow of his tree. He pulled out of the trunk of the large cedar tree, and onto one of the bridges that spanned the Camp. Down the stick and ground vine suspention he padded, brushing past other cats. He paused for a moment to admire his home.

Bridges wound through the canopy of cedar trunks, made by the paws of their anscestors. Some bridges led to shelves of splintered wood where a branch had sheared off, leaving a hollow just large enough for a den, while others connected to one another and through the trees themselves. Near the ground were several root dens for the lower ranked cats, while higher up were the kitting dens.

All the trees, mostly cedar and oak, sat in a huge ring around a large clearing, encircling a large rock with a hole near the peak. The leaders' den. Sticks and stones were woven and placed hither and thither on the trunks, making secure fences.

The tabby tom grinned, and made his way down one of the winding path of bridges, eventually joining with a large mass of other cats on their way down. They arrived at Render Stone in record time.

Ravenscorch shifted uneasily when their deputy, a wisened old gray tom, stepped back, and a figure cloaked in the furs of both prey and fallen enimies stepped forward. The sound of clinking reached all ears when the hood of the cloak was nudged back by the toss of a head. All bowed their necks respectfully under the gaze of their leader.

"Assassins. Trainees. Queens. Kits. I bear exciting news!" Novastar yowled, her silky voice gripping all like a vice, "The war and plan had been set in motion. ThunderClan declared war upon ShadowClan just this morning!"

There were several cheers.

Novastar flicked her ears, the hoops on them clicking, "Yes, very exciting indeed. Assassins and your trainees. I expect you to be battle ready in by sun high. Queens and Kits, should our plan go awry, I want you reinforcing the walls, and cutting the bridges, drawing the spikes and preparing the rocks. Healers and sourcerers, ready your potions and herbs, read the snail tracks and puddles, or whatever you do, I want a clear report on battle before we march."

As each group was mentioned, the cats nodded and called out 'ma'ams'.

"Are my intentions clear?" she growled harshly, stepping forward on the rock legde to look down on her clan.

The whole Camp rocked with cheers.

-O-

Budshell hissed in pain as a claw caught her ear, notching it. She spun, and met her attacker with a downward slam of her paw.

The large orange tom stumbled as his head was smacked into the ground, "ShadowClan filth," he growled, springing up at her.

The blue and red marbled she-cat sprang backwards, narrowly missing his claws, "I don't have a clue about what you're speaking of. My Clan is innocent," she hissed back.

A shrieking bundle of two cats crashed between them, distracting the two for a moment. Budshell flicked her bleeding ear, sending ruby dropplets through the air. The ThunderClan tom bouldered into her, using his broad chest to push her to the ground, "Let me go!" she yowled, kicking at his exposed underbelly.

He bit into her foreleg, right above the elbow. She shrieked in pain when she felt his fangs scrape bone. The she-cat kicked again, and this time she sliced through skin.

He growled, and rolled off of her, "Scum,"

Budshell flattened her ears. She had no clue as to what was going on. The day before, all was fine, and early in the morning, a messanger had come to declare that ThunderClan was to wage war on them. Over what, though?

"You know, I'm getting rather tired of that. Why is your Clan... mmm... in such a tiff?" she asked, leaping out of his outstretched claws again, "Tsk, you'll need to do better,"

"Save your tainted words for the Dark Forest. Those kits didn't need to die!"

Now she was truly interested. The orange tom, Spitfire if she remembered right, barreled at her again, this time pinning her more eficciantly. Budshell spat in his face, "What kits?"

His whiskers trembled in rage, "The ones your filthy Clan killed!"

Budshell hissed, and reared her head forward, landing a bite on his chest. He stumbled away, "I don't know what you're talking about, tom," she said, swishing her tail.

"Oh, trust me, you will,"

-O-

Ravenscorch led his deadly group along into the Thunderclan Camp. Apparently, they were among the strongest Clans around the lake... well, not for very long at least. The five discovered the enterance to the old quarry easily, pushing throught brambles and thorns until they stood in the clearing of the Camp itself.

Biteswift smirked, and yowled as loud as she could. Cats began to peek out from a few dens, mostly queens and elders, though a few warriors had stayed.

"Greetings ThunderClan," Ravenscorch purred loudly, stalking forward.

The three warriors that had been left, and two queens came to meet them, fur bristling, "Who are you?" an older warrior growled threateningly, "Who let you in?"

"Your incompetent guards. Don't worry they'll live... maybe. To answer your other question, I am Ravenscorch, and these are my companions, who's names are so utterly boring, you'll not want me to recite them," he grinned at his group, whom all gave him a scowl.

"Why are you here?" the warrior's voice was rising.

"Why, to take your Camp and Clan," Biteswift snarked behind his leader.

"Yeah?" a small apprentice squeaked from behind a queen, most likely it's mother, "You an' what army?"

The five purred, and Ravenscorch sneezed a laugh, "This one," he said, his voice turning cold and somber.

AssassinClan cats flooded into the Camp, faster than water into a hole. All of them had their simple vine paw bracelets around foreleg ankles, and war collars of the same material.

"I suggest you, uh, you know, surrender now," Siege-ear sniggered.

"You can't do this!" the warrior growled when a few assassins began to prod the ThunderClan cats away.

"We just did, Dawnshadow purred from Ravenscorch's side.

"So let it be,"

-O-

Ravenscorch grinned from ear to ear, singing the rowdy war song with his fellow Assassins. He really didn't know the words, it was a barracks song, the song of the lesser Assassins, but he sang at every part he knew.

They were seated in a huge circle on the inside of the ThunderClan camp, some of them up the huge tree in the middle of the hollow, others on the Highledge. Novastar had sent half of her warriors into the capture, twenty four in all. Nearby, the ThunderClan warriors sat, broken and desheveled. Some, like their stupid leader, had protested, and attacked, and had been beaten until they submitted. The kits and apprentices were all seperated from the main group and surrounded by the more vicious Assassins to discourage any escapes and attacks. Two or three young ones had already been killed in response to the deputy lashing out.

Ravenscorch frowned when he saw Rendersnarl, one of the meaner cats of his Clan, swatting a small kit from paw to paw, chuckling to himself with glee. He padded swiftly to the large cat, and caught his paw when he went to smack the kit, this time with unsheathed claws.

"Rendersnarl, my good fellow, I do believe killing kits and harming them is only needed when there is trouble amongst the ranks, not for enjoyment," Ravenscorch said, a hint of a growl in his tone.

Rendersnarl bared his teeth, and pushed the tom's paw away, smacking the kit again with more force. It cried out in pain. The ThunderClan cats looked ready to burst with anger. Ravenscorch snarled at the huge cat, and threw his weight into him. Rendersnarl yelped in surprise, and fell heavily, Ravenscorch's teeth scraping at the skin on the back of his neck, "Clanmate, I don't think it would be wise to anger Her Terror's personal Assassin, now would it?" he said softly in Rendersnarl's ear.

"N-no, sir," Rendersnarl whimpered.

"Good," he slunk off of the larger cat, scoring his claws down his flank in a stretch. Rendersnarl growled, but did nothing, "But, try your luck again, and we'll get to see just how vicious these ThunderClan cats are,"

Renderscorch staggered to his paws, "Sir,"

But, Ravenscorch ignored him, and went swiftly to where the small kit still cowered, shivering in the dust, "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

The kit looked up at him with scared, yet very surprised eyes, "No," she whimpered.

"Can you walk?"

She tried to get to her paws, but fell, "No,"

Ravenscorch sighed, and looked over the scrap. Her gray fur was brown with dirt, and caked with blood and mud, lumps were torn out where Rendersnarl's claws had snagged. He muttered something under his breath, and turned his attention to the ThunderClan leader, "You there, where's your healer?"

Before he could answer, a sprightly gray she-cat pushed through the crowd, "Here," she said, her voice betraying just how young she was. Ravenscorch could just remember he had killed her mentor earlier.

He picked the young kit up by her scruff, and the whole ThunderClan gasped. The tom set her down gently at the paws of the healer, "Take care of her. I apologize for my Clanmate's stupidity, he is of the lower ranks, and they don't tend to think," Ravenscorch could just hear Rendersnarl's hiss somewhere behind him.

The healer look astonished, "I- thank you, there has been enough death today," she said softly, leaning down the lick the top of the kit's head.

"And there is room for more tomorrow," Ravenscorch answered, making sure she heard the steely tone in his voice. He rounded away from her, and padded back into the throng of his Clanmates. Only when he sat down did he notice how quiet it had gotten. All eyes were on him.

Dawnshadow appeared at his side, and purred, "Maybe you do have a bit of warmth in that cold heart of yours," she teased.

"Hmph,"

The cats all around them purred laughs, and went back to talking and singing.

"I need to get back to Camp, Dawn," he said after a moment, "I need to speak with Her Evilness, and plan the next attack,"

Dawnshadow sneezed softly, "Mind if I tag along?"

He cast a sidelong glance to her, "Why not?"

-O-

"Novastar? Ravenscorch and his group are requesting an audience," Smokeshiver, the AssassinClan deputy, called into the den.

"He may have it,"

Smokeshiver meowed a thank you, and nodded to Ravenscorch and Dawnshadow. The two bowed their heads, and padded in from the rock ledge into the large den.

Novastar sat on a nest of feathers and fur, held atop a mound of bones, nibbling on a thrush. She flicked a peirced ear, the hoops jingling against the rib bone studs, "Yes, what is it?" she said, spitting gristle from her mouth.

"Greetings, Novastar, this cat would like to know the next step to take in the invasion, so he may get his cats ready," Ravenscorch meowed, slipping into a formal manner of speech.

The black cat looked interested, and tossed the thrush aside. It landed with a thud, and Ravenscorch's stomach gurgled; it had been awhile since he had last eaten. Novastar climbed down from her pyre, a few bones clanking down, "You don't need to bow your head, and humble your voice, Assassin, not at the moment. I should be the one doing so, seeing as how you made this grand victory possible,"

Ravenscorch met her milky white eyes with his own, his black pupils connecting with her slitted red ones, "Thank you, but I cannot take your praise. It's my job to serve. That's why I came here today, so I could ask on the next mission,"

Novastar sat down in front of the two cats, her long, fluffy tail curling around her paws, "Hmm, yes, the next misison. We need more sabotage, ShadowClan mayhaps? Lead a trail to WindClan, they have grudges among one another from another time," she licked at a paw, and dragged it carefully over an ear.

"Yes, Your Darkness. When will this need to be done?"

Novastar grinned, "Oh, don't be too hasty to attack the leaf, young one, it may just lead you to be far too tired to attack more. We will wait for a few days, tire out the ThunderClan cats so they have no will to fight, then, you and your band will cross the border, and repeat what you did in ThunderClan,"

Dawnshadow looked hesitant to speak at first, then offered her piece, "Do we need to kill all the kits, ma'am?" she asked quietly.

Novastar gave her an odd look, "Yes, why wouldn't you? The more you slaughter, the more angry they'll get! The more angry they are, the less likely they are to notice small details! It's brilliant,"

Dawnshadow nodded.

"Now, leave me. I must rest,"

"Yes, Novastar," the two cats replied respectfully.

-O-

"You know, Raven, I didn't mean it yesterday when I said you were cold," Dawnshadow said.

Ravenscorch sighed, "I know, you were just... upset,"

They padded along a beaten path in the dark comfines of the Camp, occasionally weaving around a group of chatting cats. Though the Clan was large itself, the Camp only contained so much room, only six or seven trees, though that changed every season.

"Good late-day, Ravenscorch," a black and gray tabby meowed swiftly as he galloped past the two cats, obviously on some sort of personal mission.

"You too, Seasonwhisker," Ravenscorch called after his friend.

The tom turned his attention to Dawnshadow, "Anyways, where were we?"

"Me saying sorry,"

"Oh, yes, continue on, then," Ravenscorch said playfully, ducking a swipe from her paw.

"You bafoon. I'm sorry I was so mean, it's just, you're so loyal to her, it scares me," Dawnshadow said with a low meow.

Ravenscorch wandered to a patch of sunlight filtering through the dense canopy of conifers above. Dawnshadow nodded her thanks to him, and circled a few times before laying down in the grass. Ravenscorch settled next to her.

"How so?" he asked, grooming her head.

She sighed, and leaned her whole body against his, "Well, just think, what if she went completely off her nut, more than she already is, and made you her total assassin? Her grunt, making you do her dirty work... what if she sent you after the Clan itself? Made you kill cats you cared about?" she shuddered.

Ravenscorch's pelt went cold for a moment. He had never really thought of that. In his eyes, Novastar was the perfect leader, though a little crazy sometimes, the kind of leader he would always be happy to follow, "Dawn, if it came to her going that crazy..." he looked around to see if any cat was around, then leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I'd smash her like a vole,"

The black and gray tabby she-cat jerked away in surprise, "Really? For your friends?" she asked.

His expression darkened slightly, "I don't have friends, just comrades, my squad. I'd do it for you,"

Dawnshadow purred softly, "Wow, you're just as romantic as a slug, Raven. But, thank you, it makes me feel better to know that I... or, rather we, will be safe when she goes nuts,"

Ravenscorch flicked his ears in confusion, "Well, yeah, we'll both be fine, of course we will,"

The she-cat grew a deadpan look, and sighed, "No, you nitwit, not we as in you and I,"

He cocked his head, "Then what do you mean?"

She gave an exasperated groan, "Ravenscorch! You're killing me here! Think really hard about 'we' if it's not you and me,"

He thought for a moment, and it came to him, "We... you mean...?"

Finally, she grinned, "Yes, you stupid lump of fur. Kits. That's why I was being so moody after the raid," she said.

"Wow... I... wow..." Ravenscorch purred, nudging his head against hers, "You see, this is why I love you being my mate, you're full of surprises. I never know what to expect!"

Dawnshadow meowed a laugh, "You've got the romantic skills of a slug, and the smarts of one too. But, I can't get rid of you yet, you're stuck to me," she said in mock annoyance.

"Well, if I'm stuck to you, then I'm stuck to you like the slug I am,"

-O-

**Well, I'll be. I finished a new chapter in record time. A bit of insight on Ravenscorch and Dawnshadow, and more on what the Camp looks like. After I get ahold of my kindle again (I lost it somehow...) I'll be able to check which territories are where, and describe where the Camp is for you guys. And, if you havn't picked it up yet, most of the AssassinClan cats are some dark color, black, gray, dark brown, all that stuffs.**


	3. The Weapon can be Blamed

-O-

"Dawnshadow, can you fetch Biteswift and Siege-ear for me? I'll go find Gorseshiver," Ravenscorch asked his mate as they padded down one of the bridges. It was still dark in Camp, the sun just starting to rise, "Night hunting patrol just got back, and I want to snag a bite before we head out,"

"Sure thing," she replied, splitting off at the next bridge Y.

Ravenscorch hopped to the nearest tree trunk, and scrabbled his way down, eager to make it to the fresh kill pile. He loped over, greeting the night hunters, "Doeleap, it looks like your patrol did well," he said, motioning with his nose to the decent sized pile of rodents and birds.

The she-cat dipped her head bashfully, "Thank you, Ravenscorch, we hunted hard. I can't wait to crawl into my nest, I'm exhausted," she said.

"You deserve the rest, you guys keep us fed," Ravenscorch meowed, pawing a squirrel from the top. It rolled down onto his paws, and to his surprise, twitched, "Is this one dead?" he asked. It twitched again, and it's eye fluttered.

"Um it should be... I mean, they're usually dead when we bring them back... maybe it's just death twitching? They do that sometimes," Doeleap said, staring at the squirrel.

"Dead squirrels don't breath," Ravenscorch said, tilting his head. It's flank was indeed moving. He brought down a paw on it's head, smashing it thoroughly, "Now it's very much so dead," he said, glancing over to Doeleap, who was frozen in mortification.

"Oh my Ancestors! I am so sorry, Ravenscorch! It really was dead... well, no maybe not, but I thought it was... oh, mouse guts, I'm sorry!" she stuttered.

"It's okay, sometimes they come back from the dead. It happened to me once with a vole," Ravenscorch said, trying to calm her down.

"Oh, okay, I guess you're right..." she said, flattening her panicked black and blue mottled fur back down a little, "I think I'm just tired right now, maybe I need to go back to my nest," she sighed.

Ravenscorch twitched his whiskers in amusement, "I think it's for the best if you do. For you and the poor squirrels both,"

"Oh, okay, I think I'll go then,"

"Oh dear, she bring in something the opposite of dead again?"

Ravenscorch nodded at Biteswift as she approached with Dawnshadow and Siege-ear in tow, "It happens. I remember when Gorseshiver brought home that magpie, and it tried to peck his eyes out,"

Siege-ear skewered a mouse from the top of the pile with his long claws, and set to work gnawing on it, "Hey, speakin' oh Gorffivver, wur ish he?" the black and white speckled tom asked, speaking as best he could around the mouthful of mouse.

Biteswift smacked him on the back of his head with a paw, "Don't talk with your mouth full." she snapped at him.

Siege-ear swallowed, "Oops, my bad,"

Ravenscorch groaned, "Ancestors' rotting teeth, I forgot to go get him, could someone send for a messenger, please?"

And then, speak of the devil, Gorseshiver himself trotted up, his brown mane flopping, and golden fur dancing, "No need. My sources told when I needed to be here," his deep baritone rumbled.

"Ah, yes, the lion king himself is here," Dawnshadow mocked instantly.

It was obvious that Gorseshiver's ancestors were not of AssassinClan, from the tip of his pink nose, to the end of his golden tail. From what information gathered, it was most likely he descended from ThunderClan itself, his mother being an outcast. Other than his gold fur, her was... rather large, much bigger than his small, lithe counterparts.

"Shush up, sis, and leave the lion to his meal," Gorseshiver snapped.

"Make me," she shot back.

"Guys, please, not today. We have a mission to do, and I don't want you two leading blood trails from here to there and back," Ravenscorch groused, nudging the rest of his squirrel to Dawnshadow.

"Yes, dear," she sighed at him, and nibbled at the meat in front of her.

"That's the nice thing about her," Gorseshiver went on, crunching on his vole, "give her something to eat, and she always shuts up,"

Dawnshadow looked up, a smear of blood on her nose, "Yeah? And give you a tail weaving she-cat for the night, and you'll be quiet for the moon, though, I really don't see any difference, considering you-"

"Alright, you two! Be quiet, there's kits about!" Ravenscorch said, his eyes going wide at the thought of the sentence being finished.

"That's not funny," both Dawnshadow and Siege-ear said.

Siege-ear, being the youngest of the group, was often referred to as the kit. Dawnshadow had protested... well, in a way, there were kits about.

Biteswift grinned like she had eaten the canary, "Ah, yes, that's right. Details and snitches say you're to be mother dearest. That was fast, considering you've only been mated for half a moon,"

And that was the downside to living in a Clan of assassins and spies. Your business was everybody's business.

Gorseshiver choked on the last bit of his vole laughing. Siege-ear looked uncomfortable, Biteswift rather pleased with herself. Both the happy to be parents were less than pleased.

"Fox guts, does the whole Camp know by now?" Dawnshadow groaned, leaning her head on Ravenscorch's shoulder.

"It's the talk of the moon. You know the queens love good kit gossip, who the baby daddy is, and who the poor mother is to be, they love it,"

"Well, that's great and everything," Ravenscorch said finally, cutting the thought away from his mind, "But, we need to get going, or we'll just sit here and kit-chat all day,"

"Agreed!" Siege-ear said quickly, hoping the topic at paw was to be forever dropped and buried.

Biteswift bumped his hip with hers as they stalked out of Camp, "Ah, I just love making you uncomfortable!"

-O-

They made good time to the ShadowClan border, seeing as how the AssassinClan Camp was only so many tree lengths northwest from the so called twoleg nest, where those two ridiculous kittypets lived. Long ago had they been neutralized as a threat, and turned into babbling kits by a raid.

"Through the thorns, kill the guards and make way to the nursery," Ravenscorch ordered.

"Sir,"

Gorseshiver and Biteswift split off. For what the large golden tom lacked in speed, he made up for in stealth, and Biteswift made up for her stealth with speed.

The guards toppled down like twoleg trash bins, spilling their contents all over the ground. They rushed into the Camp, quick and quiet as mice, not stopping for a word. This mission was too important to foul up with talking. They waited outside the nursery until the one of the queens left, leaving the other inside. There were only four kits, leaving the queen for someone else.

Ravenscorch bumped Dawnshadow in the direction of the she-cat, knowing she wouldn't want to kill more kits. She nodded, and they struck without sound. The kits flumped onto the ground like felled birds, the queen joining them within seconds.

They all nodded to one another, and Ravenscorch weaved away from the carnage...

...only to bump into the living queen. He staggered back, an icicle of dread piercing his heart.

"Uh-oh," Siege-ear mumbled, "Busted,"

Ravenscorch barreled past the wide eyed queen, taking his companions along with him. They tor out of the Camp, the cries of the queen splitting the air behind them, "Help! They killed Oceanfur and the kits! Help!"

Ravenscorch hissed a curse under his breath and nudged Dawnshadow, who was lagging behind a little, "Hurry," he said.

She shook her head, and slowed even more. The sound of pawsteps reached their ears. The warriors were on the way, "I can't," she coughed.

"Dawnshadow, go! Now!" he hissed at her.

She only shook her head more, "I can't... breath! Go... go on without... me," she coughed again.

Biteswift appeared at his side, the faithful mother hen like cat looking worried, "Ravenscorch we need to move!"

He twitched his ears. The pawthumps were closer now, "She can't. Go without us, lead a trail to the WindClan border. Finish the mission without us,"

"No," Siege-ear rounded away from his rout, and trotted back to them, "We won't. Not with you to have kits. I've heard about these cats, they're savage,"

Gorseshiver sat down roughly in front of his surrogate sister, "I'm not leaving my little sis to be gnawed on by lake cats," he growled.

Dawnshadow look astonished, "I can't fight them, though," she said, her breathing calming down, though she still wheezed, "I can't run more, I can't do anything!" she coughed.

"Then we'll fight for you," Ravenscorch said, his breath tickling the fur of her ear.

"So let it be," Siege-ear honored the long time saying of the Assassins.

"So let it be," they repeated together.

Just then, the ShadowClan warriors burst out of the brush, and surrounded them, "You!" one of them hissed angrily, "Kit killer!"

Ravenscorch stood up, and flicked his bobbed tail, then sat back down, "Yes, what do you want?"

None of them seemed to concerned about his calm greeting, "You killed my sister's kits!" a she-cat near the back yowled.

"Little brats probably deserved it," Gorseshiver said quietly.

"Kill them all!" some other cat screamed.

They all shrieked in agreement, but before they could attack, a white and gold she-cat stepped before them, "No," she said softly.

They all fell back a little, "They killed kits!"

She sighed a low growl, "I know, but, they aren't lake cats," she turned her head, the fur on her neck standing up, "You, who sent you?"

Ravenscorch flicked his ears, "Old enemies of yours, they wanted to get back at you for an exile many generations ago, or so I was told. Can't remember the name of the cats..."

"WindClan," the she-cat ground out.

"Ah, yes, that's the one," Ravenscorch said.

"We need to attack their Camp! Kill their kits and see how they like it!"

The she-cat shook her head, "Not yet. We must plan, but first," she turned her eyes on the AssassinClan cats, and dread once again settled in Ravenscorch's stomach, "Kill them,"

"No!" Biteswift yowled, arching her back.

"Dawnshadow stay behind us," Ravenscorch ordered

"Why are they killing us?! They're supposed to capture us and hold us hostage!" Siege-ear wailed.

"They can try all they like, but they'll not kill us," Gorseshiver hissed.

The large group of ShadowClan cats vaulted over the ground, colliding with the AssassinClaners. Teeth met with teeth, and claw with claw. They were unfairly matched at one to three.

Ravenscorch stayed close to Dawnshadow, swatting away any cats that dared to come near. He closed his eyes when he heard poor little Siege-ear's scream of pain end in a gurgle. He was dead.

"Siege-ear!" Biteswift exclaimed, rolling away from the large tom that had pinned her. She pressed her nose into the fur of the youngster, who had been like the sun she'd never had, "You'll all pay for this!"

A large she-cat leaped, and ripped out her throat before the older cat could get any farther in her ranting. Two down, three to go.

"Gorseshiver! On your left!" Dawnshadow screeched from where she lay underneath the protective stance of Ravenscorch's legs.

The huge tom cat looked over, and yowled low when another cat, nearly as large as himself, barreled into him. He was too slow. Ravenscorch knew his lack of speed would be the end of him.

"No, Gorseshiver!" Dawnshadow wailed.

"Oh, yes," the two remaining cats looked up. The ShadowClan cats had surrounded them.

"I want one alive for questioning," the white and gold she-cat had stepped in again. Her fur was still pristine, she hadn't even gone after the AssassinClan cats, "I don't care who, but one of them!" she spat.

A pair of jaws clamped down on Ravenscorch's neck, and he silently thanked the Ancestors. His mate was going to live!

"Ravenscorch!" Dawnshadow meowed softly when another cat grasped her hind leg in his teeth, a wicked grin on his face.

Only then did he realize what was happening. The grip on his neck was just a scruff hold, "Dawnshadow, no!" he growled, thrashing as hard as he could, "Get your paws of of her!"

"Ooh, looks like these two are in looooove!" a she-cat in the crowd taunted.

A few others giggled, and the tom that had a hold of Dawnshadow's leg, grinned even larger.

"Oh, snap her leg, Festerclaw!" someone yowled, "Make her feel some real pain!"

The tom did just that.

Ravenscorch thrashed again, this time managing to reach around and claw at his captor's neck. The cat let him go in surprise, and Ravenscorch jumped away to Dawnshadow. A paw pushed him to the ground.

"Dawnshadow!" he yowled as she writhed in pain, "Dawnshadow, fight them!" he pleaded.

She met his blue eyes with her green ones, and he knew it was over for her, "I'm sorry, Scorch... I- I love you,"

"No! DAWNSHADOW!" he was roaring now, but he could not move, the claws holding him down tightened.

"Slit her throat and be done with this torture,"

"NO!" Ravenscorch struggled again, oblivious to the new set of claws raking his sides. His hind paws scored ragged lines in the dirt.

"Goodbye, Raven... I hope you find love again," Dawnshadow choked.

Ravenscorch stopped moving, this was the end, "Goodby, Dawn, you're the only one I've ever loved,"

"So let it be,"

"So let it be,"

Ravenscorch flattened his ears at the crunching sound when the tom crushed her windpipe. Dawnshadow thrashed in death throes, a horrible whistling sound coming from her throat. Then, she was still. The cats on top of him released their hold, and Ravenscorch ran to his love, sides bleeding heavily.

He collapsed on her dead body, and wailed softly, knowing she was gone, and the future they were to have was gone, slowly dieing inside her body. He looked up at the pained faces of the ShadowClan cats. Some of them looked regretful, like they didn't want this to happen, "Why?" he said quietly.

"A life for a life," the she cat that had yowled about her sister's kits said sharply.

"It wasn't just one life you took from us... it was four more than the four you took," he buried his nose into Dawnshadow's cooling fur, "I'm sorry, love, I'm sorry,"

Jaws settled roughly on his scruff, and he scrabbled at Dawnshadow's body, "No!" he screamed, "You can't take me!" He was jerked harder, and he let go, and curled into a ball. He was broken.

It turns out, the weapon can be blamed just as much as the handler.

-O-

**Mwahahahaha! I'm SO mean to my charas. I finally found one of my warriors books laying around underneath my couch cushion, and got to work figuring out where AssassinClan is. Northwest of ShadowClan territory in a stand of cedars and white pine. How'd I figure that out? I had to look at the twoleg map, then the cat map. But, let me tell you, I suck with maps, and it took me a couple of minutes to figure it out completely.**

** If you spot any mistakes in here, please let me know, I hate mistakes. Recognize chara names, tell me. Have a random complaint? I'll see to it. Want to review? Fill in the review box. Want more story? Patience is a virtue, young grasshopper. **


	4. Go Die in a Hole, Kit

**So, I was checking my stats an- HOLEY BOHJEEZUM, over a hundred views? Hmm... and only ten reviews... not that I'm unhappy with ten, mind you, I'm very happy with them, just wondering what could be... but, still, I'm ****very**** happy with it, I mean, wow!**

**Responding to reviewers... now!**

**To Rainy1212: Sorry I didn't thank you for your review last chapter! I was... really distracted when I posted it... my bad. Sorry I made you cry, broskie, but, I'm happy, it was my intent, to make all you people suffer and be sad. With this, I will take over the world! Want an Interweb cookie?**

**To Skymist20: Thank you! It really makes me happy that people are reading! I update as fast as possible (psst! Reviews help!)**

**To Cinderstar377: Yeah, I thought it would be cute with the whole slug thing. Sorry I didn't thank you or reply to you last chapter! As I told Rainy1212, I was distracted. Thank you, I had no idea that there were other assassin fics! Well, I knew there was a chance, buuut naivety is golden? :)**

**To Egyptian Warrior: Thankies. Yep, I pulled that string, and felled Thunderclan like a pine tree.**

**To yet another, (or maybe the same...?) Guest: Yes, I did. I wanted to A: torture Ravenscorch, because I love him to bits and B: tug a few heartstrings. Plus, ShadowClan is kinda... I dunno, bitey? I loved Dawn too, but I didn't think I'd be able to keep her personality up, so I go rid of her... er, I mean, I killed her to add drama! Hehe...eh...**

**Other than this hooge arse A/N (oh mai, it's big!) here's the hooge arse chaptah!**

-O-

Ravenscorch stumbled, catching his paw on a rock. He barely felt the pain when his ankle twisted. He picked up his paw, and limped along, his blue eyes trained on the ground. Nowhere specific, just the ground. His gaze was blank, his mind in shock.

_No... Dawnshadow is NOT gone... she can't be! This is just... just a bad dream, one I'll wake up from, and she'll be there to groom my head... she's not dead... she can't die... no, no, no, no, no! What will her father think... her mother when I get back, and tell them I let these cats kill their daughter? No, they won't think anything, because she's not dead... this is just a test. _

_ Yes! A test, Novastar set it up to see just how loyal I am, to see how I'll react when things get tough... I failed... blood and guts, I failed... she always told me, never love or care, don't get too close, always finish the mission no matter what! Well... actually, we kind of finished the mission... except we all got killed... That's it, I'm dead, and since I've been so horrid my whole life, I'm in Dark Forest, and the Ancestors are punishing me for what I've done!_

_ ...but will they punish Dawnshadow? They can't, she was going to have kits... she hated killing those kits... she hated killing cats... it wasn't her fault she was brought up the way she was... I deserve being punished... I didn't hesitate to kill, Dawnshadow said so herself that I had no heart... but she didn't mean that, though... why did she have to go die? Why? She just... _gave up_. You don't give up... she still could have taken a few down with her... why did she give up?! She didn't need to! Why did _I _give up?! I could have helped! Why...?_

He didn't notice it when they entered the ShadowClan Camp. Nor did he notice it when he was sat down, and a cat, the sister of the queen, demanded answers from him. Only when she swiped her claws over his face did he look up.

Grieving eyes met with grieving eyes.

-O-

Budshell flinched when she saw the pain in his eyes, the sorrow. She almost felt compassion. Almost. Blood dripped down his chin from where she had clawed him. He reached a paw up, and touched the raw scratches, and pulled away. Red glistened on his paw. He frowned, and kept it hovering just above the ground.

"Are you going to answer me, cat? Or are you just going to sit there giving your paw sad eyes?" she raged at him.

"Budshell..." Gorgeswift, her brother, said softly by her side.

She ignored him, "Well?"

The tom met her eyes again, and spoke, his hoarse voice sending shivers down her back. This cat had been screaming... but at what? "What do you want? Can't you just leave me be?" he growled.

"Why did you kill my sister's kits, you pile of frog guts?" Budshell hissed.

"Why did your Clan kill my mate and _her _kits?" he shot back at her.

"We didn't kill any kits, unlike you,"

"You're wrong, you killed them alright, before they breathed, before they opened their eyes. You killed them before they even lived," he looked wretched.

Budshell narrowed her eyes, "Then their idiot mother shouldn't have got into battle,"

-O-

Something snapped inside Ravenscorch. He reared up on his haunches, and caterwauled as loud as he could, "_Don't you DARE speak of Dawnshadow like that!_" his claws unsheathed, cats gasped, "She was a good cat, not a monster like me... she never wanted to kill kits, but she faced death by mauling of her Clan if she didn't do as she was bidden! You call her an idiot, but she was just doing her part to stay alive!" his wail turned into a low growl.

The she-cat, the tom had called her Budshell, staggered back in fright.

"And I failed to keep my end of the promise we made..."

-O-

Budshell flattened her ears.

The tom cat gave her a feral look, and his fur stood up again, his blue eyes seeming like fire, "_Leave me!_" he roared, baring his fangs.

Claw-heathen, one of the guards, struck the cat, pinning him down to the ground, "Any more bursts like that, and we'll kill you," he growled.

"Then so let it be," the tom hissed, poison leaking out of his words, "So let it be,"

-O-

"Budshell, are you alright?" the blue and red marbled she-cat spun at the mention of her name.

Her sister, Eveninglight, was sitting next to her, a worried expression on her face, "I should be asking you that," she sighed, leaning against her sister's side.

"I'll heal. Things happen, and when stuff goes sideways, you just gotta bear through it,"

Budshell couldn't help but smirk at her sister. Rough, tough and growly Eveninglight, no one had ever thought she would have kits, they always said it would be Budshell stuck with the life of mother dearest. It was a surprise when Eveninglight had kits.

"Yeah, I guess..." she meowed, twitching her notched ear.

"You coming on the attack on WindClan?"

Budshell perked up a little, "Dunno, when is it?"

"Four or so sunrises. Yellowstar wants us ready as soon as possible,"

"I might go... but, this whole assassin business seems... strange," Budshell flicked her tail.

Eveninglight quirked an eye-ridge at her sister, "Strange? WindClan just didn't want to dirty their paws,"

"I suppose... that tom... do you think he was telling the truth?" she asked, pulling up a paw to nibble at a shedding claw.

Her sister gave her yet another odd look, "I don't think so, not at all. Those cats... there's something more to them than just assassins, sweety, they're liars too,"

Budshell looked up to her older sister and frowned, _Then why are we believing them and attacking WindClan? _She thought.

-O-

Ravenscorch laid in the temporary nest the leader, Yellowstar, had provided for him. He was still out in the open, but it was better than sitting in the dust.

He stared at his outstretched paws. The fur on the tips of his toes was stiff with dried blood. The blood of the kits. He extended his claws. There were tufts of soft fur under them. Also from the kits. He sighed softly, and laid his head down. He caught a glimpse of his chest fur, stained brown from the dried lifeblood of Dawnshadow. It was but one of the painful reminders that she was gone.

There was a pitter-patter. Then silence. Another patter, and a squeak. He could spy three kits, he had no idea of how they'd not been caught in the attack, creeping up on him. He lay still, watching them like squirrels. He snapped his head to the side, surprising the youngsters.

"Ah!" one squeaked, diving behind a lump of left over nesting material, "Did he see us?" he could hear the whisper.

"Yes," Ravenscorch said in a harsh tone, "I did,"

They all mewed in surprise, and took off running to the nursery, all except one. A small brown tabby tom.

"Well," he said, "you scare them, but you don't scare me," he said a matter of factly.

Ravenscorch snorted, and buried his nose in the nest, "What do you want, kit?"

The youngling stayed a good distance away from the nest, being mindful of the older cat's space, "I'm curious. You killed the other kits in the nursery, and I want to know why," he sat down with a bump.

"It was my mission. Too bad you escaped," Ravenscorch said irritably.

The kit seemed unfazed, "I didn't escape. I wasn't there. My mother took me and my other siblings out to explore some of the territory. It was awesome, 'cause now I'll be more prepared for when I'm an apprentice," he puffed out his chest.

"You won't be too prepared when I smash you like a moth. Beat it, kid," Ravenscorch growled.

"My name's not kid, slug brain-" Ravenscorch mentally flinched, remembering Dawnshadow calling him that- "I'm Spitkit... most the others call me Spits though,"

"That's great, now get lost,"

"What's your name? Everybody says it's something nasty and cruel," Spits said, tilting his head.

"Kid. For the last time. Beat. It," Ravenscorch's growl raised a little higher.

"But I-"

He snarled angrily, and lashed his stump tail. The kit squeaked in fright, and jumped away.

"Hey, be nice to the kits!" Ravenscorch reeled away when a paw struck his face.

-O-

Budshell hissed at him angrily.

"Like I was going to kill them," the tom said quietly, "What do you want?" he looked up, obviously spotting the rat at her paws.

"Bringing you food. Though, if it were my choice, I'd see you starve. But, Yellowstar wants otherwise,"

He grunted, "Then let me starve. I don't want food, save it for those who need it,"

"Alright... I guess I can't force you," Budshell had no problem just leaving the pathetic cat. She padded away, dropping the bird back onto the pile, bumping into the medicine cat on the way, "Oh, hi Fierceclaw, what are you up to?" she asked to large tom.

He twitched his whiskers, looking fretful, "Off to look at that assassin. Yellowstar wants him mostly alive," he dragged a paw over his eye.

Budshell fought back a smirk. It was iconic to see such a large cat going about being medicine cat. Most healers were small, "Mmm. He was holding that left paw of his a bit funny, though you might want to twist it a little before treating it,"

Fierceclaw sighed, "I know you're still upset- don't snap at me about it, I know you're more than that- but, I have to treat him the best I can, I'm a medicine cat, so it's hard to hold grudges... a sprain, you say? Hmm...poppy seeds to lessen pain..." he rattled off a list of herbs under his breath as he walked away.

-O-

Ravenscorch lay on his side. He could hear a squirrel chuckling somewhere farther away from the Camp. Dawnshadow's favorite food. His stomach growled, but he ignored it. Maybe, if no one payed any attention to him, he would be fortunate enough to waste away.

He grunted when a paw poked him in the side.

"C'mon, you layabout, get up,"

He just laid there. He didn't want to move.

"You need to get up so I can treat your paw, moron,"

"Go away," the mourning tabby tom meowed.

"No. Get. Up." each word was punctuated with a paw jab.

"Let me die... I don't want to live anymore," Ravenscorch moaned, curling into a tighter ball.

"Yes you do. You want to avenge your mate, young'un,"

Ravenscorch lifted his head a little, undaunted by the huge cat before him. His size could nearly challenge Gorseshiver's, "My mate..." he said, feeling more lost than he sounded.

"Yes, your mate, kit. I have a feeling she wouldn't want you to just sit here and die of infected wounds,"

He sat up a little, "I hurt my paw... I think... I don't know, really..."

The gray healer inspected the limb, sniffing at it carefully, "Can you unsheathe your claws?" he asked.

Ravenscorch slid them out.

"Hmm... it's a sprain. Eat a couple of poppy seeds, and you'll be good. I'm out of the herbs that dispel swelling right now, need to send my lazy apprentice to go find more... those scratches on your sides, where did you get those?" the cat moved to his side, sniffing.

"When they cornered my group in the woods. They held me down so I didn't interfere," Ravenscorch said bitterly.

"Uh huh... Slidepaw, fetch me a borage root, if you would, and maybe a bit of cobweb for his face,"

A puny apprentice, Ravenscorch just noticed she was sitting there, nodded vigorously, and dashed away.

"Now if I could get her to be like that all the time. I say, are you going to eat those poppy seeds, or just stare at them?" the healer snapped at him.

"I'll just stare for now. I'm no fool, poppy makes one sleep. I'll suffer through the pain for now," Ravenscorch said sharply.

The healer frowned, "Well, I don't think it would hurt for you to sleep. Nobody's going to kill you, Yellowstar wants you alive... not that that's any better than death,"

The young apprentice returned, a root in her mouth and cobwebs on her tail, "I found them!" she said brightly, spitting out the root, and offering her tail to her mentor.

He scraped them off, and nudged her away, "Thank you, but be a little faster next time," the healer meowed gruffly.

"Yes sir!" she purred before running off.

"Hmph, slow pawed little snip..." the healer gnawed at the root for a few moments before spitting them out onto his paw, "This may sting a little,"

Ravenscorch gritted his teeth when the paw dabbed the poultice on, the juices running through the scratches and setting them aflame, "Nothing I can't handle," he ground out.

The medicine cat nodded, and sat up on his haunches, reaching his paw up to swath the still bleeding ear with cobwebs, "There you are. When did you get that nick, kid?"

"A few minutes ago, from the moody she-cat you call Budshell,"

"Slow healer, eh? I suppose so, if your ear's still beading up some, but, no cat ever died from ear cuts, so you're fine,"

Ravenscorch laid down again, settling his chin on the edge of the nest, "I would like to thank you... but, I'm afraid your efforts are in vain. I'm going to die anyways,"

The medicine cat looked disturbed, "I wouldn't count my prey before it's caught, kid. Yellowstar still has a soft spot in her, maybe you can invoke it?"

Ravenscorch gave him a look, plainly saying 'are you crazy?'

"But, what do I know? I'm just a tired old healing cat with a bouncy apprentice!" now that he mentioned it, Ravenscorch could see the signs of age on the cat. A wrinkle here, a patch of scars there, a few gray hairs dotting his muzzle, "Don't be so dour, youngster, things get worse before they get better,"

Then, he left, leaving Ravenscorch to ponder on the conversation.

-O-

"Is it Scarface?"

"No, go away,"

"Haretalon?"

"No,"

"Logface?"

"I hate you,"

"Blue-ears?"

"Go die in a hole, kit,"

"Simba?"

"What?"

"Never mind... Fishpelt?"

"For the last time, no, go away you useless lump of fur," the cat hissed at Spitkit.

He had been trying to figure out his name for the last while. He gasped in mock hurt, "Pff, and I thought we were friends... I mean, gosh, I told you _my _name, so it's not very polite of you to not tell me yours," he fidgeted his white tipped paws.

"Go away,"

"No! Not until you tell me your name!" Spits puffed stubbornly.

"You don't want to know me, kid. I'm a murderer, it would just soil your overall being if you knew my name,"

"I don't care,"

The cat fell silent.

"Growlthorn?"

"Not again," the tabby groaned.

"Boulderswipe?"

"Come on kid, leave me be... wait, why are the queens even letting you over here?" the cat pushed himself up to a sitting position.

"Oh, because they don't like me. My momma doesn't care too much, so they don't mind if I poke around with you... Dumbleroar?"

"What am I, a sorcerer? No, kid,"

"It's Spits!" Spitkit said indignantly.

"Will you leave me alone if I tell you?"

"Yes," though he was looping his tail behind his back.

"They call me Ravenscorch in my Clan," the tabby tom finally said.

Spitkit let his tail flop back onto the ground, and purred, "I like that name, it's cool,"

"Good, maybe you can go find it cool in a different corner," Ravenscorch mumbled.

"Nope, looped my tail. What's your Clan called?"

"Go away, Spitkit,"

"Ooh, you used my name! Anyways-"

"Youngster, leave him be. He looks like he's tired of your constant prattling,"

Spits whirled, and squeaked when he bumped into the foreleg of his leader, "Yellowstar! I-uh, yes, ma'am... but I learned his name!"

"Spitkit," Ravenscorch hissed.

"His name is Ravenscorch! Isn't that the coolest name? I like it," Spits bounced all around his leader.

"Yes, yes, quite... cat, come with me, I'm sure you'll have something to say about this whole...kerfuffle, hmm?

-O-

**Cliff hanger-y thing! Gawd, why am I so mean to poor Ravenscorch? Jeezum, I thought killing poor Dawnshadow was enough, then I sent the little terror that is Spits after him! Gosh... I feel bad for my own chara.**

**Review, and I'll... hmm... I dunno, slap you, then put a band-aide over it? Naw, I'll just give you the cyber cookie of your choosing.**


	5. Spitkit's Apprentice Ceremony

**I realized something while I was writing this chapter. Well, while I was researching more on ShadowClan, really... there was already another Yellowstar! Grrr... I was researching leaders and naming ceremonies, and, lo and behold in the roster of leaders, was the name Yellowstar under the ShadowClan leaders. Quite the coincidence, eh? Found it in a wikia entry.**

**Replying to reviewers!**

**To Cinderstar377: Thank you! I think a part of my died a little when I killed her off. I try my best to make sure each chapter is interesting.**

**To Blazzer12: Thankies. I update as often as possible. Right now, this story is fun to write, so I'm ahead on chapters (that's right, I actually have more chapters sitting unposted in my computer,)**

** We get to see even more good ol' Yellowstar personality, and Ravenscorch personality! Joy of joys. And, I get to set Spits after him again ;)**

-O-

"It should seem you've befriended Spitkit. Not that I'm surprised, he always is trying to make friends," Yellowstar said, thumping her tail lightly on the floor of her den, "He's so annoying though, it's hard for him to keep them,"

Ravenscorch stared at the ground, his mind still in turmoil. He looked up when one of the guards behind him growled, "This cat hardly thinks you called him to speak of kits, ma'am," he couldn't help but lapse into the formal speech. He had been raised to do so in the presence of a leader.

Yellowstar frowned at his strange way of talking, and shrugged, "No, I don't suppose I did bring you here for that. After all, I wanted answers,"

"Then this cat would like it if you hurried up with questioning, so he may go back to slowly dieing,"

She bared her teeth in annoyance, "Alright, then I'll start. Why did you kill the kits?"

He slipped from the formal language, "My... squad was told to,"

"Who told you to?"

"A WindClan patrol," he lied smoothly. There was no way he was going to betray AssassinClan.

"Who in the patrol?"

He thought back to his memories of stalking the Clans in his younger, wilder days, before he joined AssassinClan. It would have to be someone he saw when they were apprentices...

"I didn't know his name. He was black, missing an ear, a few red markings, a kinked tail,"

"Snapjaw... I should have known he'd be up to this. He's been too ambitious since he was made WindClan deputy..."

Ravenscorch quietly let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. It had worked.

"And now, back to you. Where do you hail from, surely not any Clan in the area?" Yellowstar laid down, looking confident with herself.

"I was a kittypet," this wasn't _really _a lie, "I turned rogue, and I've been scouting around for a few seasons. I picked up my crew along the way,"

"You have a warriors' name. As did your mate, how did you get those?"

Ravenscorch cursed himself for not thinking of that, and pieced together an explanation, "My mother lived near the lake a long while ago, near the horseplace... only stayed long enough to take shelter in a storm, and left. While she was there, she met a few... what are they called, barn cats? They worshiped the Clans, and my mother liked Clan names, so she named me and my brother Clan names. Dawnshadow," he let his stump tail fall, and sighed, "Her name was Floof when I met her. She hated her name, so she changed it when I told her mine. She liked the Clan naming system," phew, what a complicated mouthful.

Yellowstar narrowed her eyes, and crossed her paws, "I see... what was you're brother's name?"

What? Why was that important? "Mother called him Bark-kit, ma'am,"

"Hmm," she grunted, "You and your cats smelled of pine and conifers. You must live near us,"

"No, we traveled a lot, going from place to place, finding shelter in exchange for assassin work... we were hirefangs, if you must," Ravenscorch dipped his head, feeling annoyed with the questions, "Now, are we done here? I would like to die without any more prodding,"

Yellowstar sighed and nodded, "Go if you must, then. Take him back to his nest," the two guards ushered him out.

-O-

"Ravenscorch! What did she want?" Spits squeaked, bouncing all around the tom as he laid back down in his nest.

"Nothing that involves you," he retorted.

Spitkit stopped bouncing for a moment, a serious expression on his tiny kit face, "Everything involves me," he said, struggling to keep his face strait.

"I'm going to be an apprentice soon," Spits said suddenly, flumping down on his tail, "I wonder who my mentor will be... did you ever have an apprentice?"

"Once,"

"Cool... um, is that all you're gonna say?"

"Yes. Go away,"

"No,"

"There's a lovely hole somewhere just calling your name, kid,"

"And there's a pair of fangs calling yours," Spitkit shot back.

Ravenscorch glanced at the fluffy kit, a spark of amusement running through him, "Touche. You've won this duel,"

"Does that mean I can stay?"

"No,"

-O-

_Ravenscorch padded along the beaten path, running swiftly. A messenger had just come, telling him it was urgent to get back to his hollow. A sinking feeling awoke in his gut when the path suddenly changed, turning to a whole new direction. He broke off of the path, and scrabbled up a tree, swinging __himself onto a bridge._

_ He picked up the pace, hearing a loud wail pierce the air. _Dawnshadow_. He ran, paws thumping like pistons, desperate to reach his nest. Something glinted in the trees, a pair of amber shine spots here and there. He looked over his shoulder. They were eyes._

_ His tree loomed just ahead, the nest he had claimed for himself resting at the highest point possible on the trunk. _

_ Ravenscorch dashed inside, a dark wall slamming against the outside of the hollow. Had it been following him?_

_ "Dawnshadow? Where are you?" he called, wandering deeper into the large hollow._

_ "Right here," he whirled at the melodious sound of her purr._

_ "What did you need?" he asked, bumping noses with her._

_ "I had my kits... I thought you'd like to see them,"_

_ Ravenscorch opened his eyes wide in surprise, "I missed the birth?" he asked, feeling guilty._

_ She gave him a strange look, "No... you were here, but you had to go after the first was born, love,"_

_ "I did?" he didn't remember it._

_ She laughed softly, and pulled her fluffy tail away from her side, reveling four squirming bundles, "I think you've been on night hunt for a little too long. You took poor Doeleap's position after that squirrel she brought in,"_

_ Ravenscorch mumbled something, and pushed his nose down next to his kits. _His. Kits. _They mewled softly, kneading at their mother's belly. They were all a uniform grayish color, which would darken into the common AssassinClan black with age. One of them, the smallest, however, was __different. Her fur, though gray, had a funny blue tint to it, a long orange stripe running from tailtip to nosetip._

_ "I wanted to call her Lightkit... maybe suggest to Novastar to call her Lightflower when she earns her rank... I don't know about the toms though..." she fretted._

_ "We'll figure it out, together... why don't they turn their faces to us, love?" Ravenscorch had noticed that none of them turned their muzzles up to squeak._

_ "Because, they want to hid them. They don't need to breathe, so they don't need to put their noses up, silly," obviously Dawnshadow thought this was normal._

_ "Hide their faces? Not breathe? Love, they need to breathe, or they'll die," Ravenscorch could feel cold terror building. Where was it coming from?_

_ She sneezed a laugh, "You don't need to breathe when you're dead, sweetheart... here, let's see if I can get Lightkit to look at you..." Dawnshadow pulled a paw from underneath one of the squirming toms, and put it gently under her daughter's chin. She lifted up, and Ravenscorch blanched._

_ His daughter's face was a skull. A bloody, oozing, dripping skull. Ragged lumps of gray fur dotted the face, hanging on by small chunks of skin... and her eyes... white with red pupils... like Novastar's..._

_ The kit mewled, the stench of death and dieing wafting from her muzzle._

_ "Wh-what happened to her?!" Ravenscorch stuttered, backing away quickly._

_ Suddenly, they were in the clearing the ShadowClan cats had caught them._

_ "Don't you remember? They killed us both when we were finishing the mission,"_

_ Ravenscorch looked panicked, "What? I- I... you're not dead... you're right here in front of me!"_

_ "Sweetheart, I was dead at the beginning of that mission... this is a dream," Dawnshadow said softly._

_ "One you need to wake up from,"_

_ Ravenscorch looked down. The four kits were looking at him. They had spoken, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Ancestors, help me!"_

_ "Wake up, dear. It's time to wake,"_

_ "Nonononononono..."_

_ "Wake_ up!"

A paw prodded him in the side, and Ravenscorch opened his eyes, pupils huge and wide. He looked up. It was Budshell, come with another rat.

"Wake up you crazy moron. I brought you food," Budshell hissed, tossing the rat down at his paws. It had been two days since he had last eaten. Two days since Dawnshadow had been killed.

"I don't want it," Ravenscorch said gruffly, standing up to stretch. He doubled back down when his stomach growled and twisted painfully, "Don't need it,"

"Too bad. Yellowstar decided to put you on a trial today at the gathering... StarClan knows why she wants the other Clans to know about this, considering we still have yet to attack WindClan... I don't think she'd be too happy if you died before we got there," the she-cat said with a low sigh, "I think I'd be so happy I myself would die if you drowned in the lake,"

Ravenscorch flattened his ears, and hissed at her, "Well, you may just die tonight,"

She bared her fangs at him, then shook her head, "Why am I arguing with you? You're going to be crow-food soon enough anyways," she hmmfed at him, and turned tail, leaving Ravenscorch to stare at the rat.

He flicked it away with a claw, knowing if it was too close he'd eat it.

It was morning, early morning. He must have fallen asleep sometime after Spitkit had left him be. Speaking of the little brat... where had he gone off to?

"You really should eat, you know,"

Ah, speak of the devil.

Ravenscorch licked at his paws, deciding to clean the blood from them. He would leave the matting on his chest alone, it was the last physical piece of Dawnshadow he had left.

"Don't want it," he argued instantly. For once, he actually, just a little, enjoyed making the kit huff at him.

Spits looked dismayed, and sighed, "Please? Come on, it's your last meal before you're put on trial at the Gathering! Do you really want to die on an empty stomach? I hear if that happens to you'll have super bad tummy cramps when you go to StarClan,"

Ravenscorch perked his ears, "You think I'm going to StarClan?" if that was their version of the Ancestors' territory...

"Yep! You didn't kill those kits, it was WindClan. You did it because you didn't want to die, because Novastar was going to kill you and your mate if you failed," he said nonchalantly, licking at his paw.

His eyes went wide, and he snapped at the kit, fangs bared, "Who told you about Novastar?!" he snarled.

Spits stumbled back, his fur pricking, "Y-you did! In your sleep! You were mumbling about her killing you if you messed up,"

Ravenscorch let his lips fall over his teeth, noticing the stares he was getting from the nearby cats. Some were of hatred, others of fear... and surprisingly, some were of curiosity, "Kid, don't you breathe a word of this to your leader, _ever!_If she finds out that I have my own Clan... things will get very messy, very fast. I'd hate to see you end up as one of Novastar's cloak patches," he said, leaning in a little to hiss at the kit.

Spits nodded enthusiastically, "Don't worry, I wont tell," then his face lit up in a grin, "Sooo, you _do _care about me! Ha! I told Snifflekit that you and me were friends! That'll show her!"

"Whatever," Ravenscorch said, finally deciding the rat looked edible. He gulped it down faster than he thought possible.

"I gotta go, Ravenscorch, I have stuff to do... I hope you do well at your trial!" the kit mewed at him cheerily before bounding away in search of fun.

That's when it hit Ravenscorch. He was going on a trial... Yellowstar would most defiantly accuse WindClan of sending him, and then WindClan would protest! He would be killed outright just for lying and almost causing a battle. This. Was. Bad.

His thoughts and emotions swirled inside his head, conflicting and screaming at him. He wanted to run... no, he wanted to stay, maybe if they killed him, he would see his mate again before death! But, she wouldn't want him to just _die_. Would she?

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the High Branch for a Clan meeting!"

Cats all around the Camp looked up at the sudden yowl from their leader. Yellowstar was standing up on a large branch overhanging the Camp. Ravenscorch watched with dulled interest, his mind still wandering. Cats gathered, mumbling amongst themselves.

Yellowstar settled herself comfortably on her haunches, and spoke in a loud and proud voice, "Spitkit, Adderkit, Gravelkit, step forward," there was an assorted mumbling again- "What, she's actually going to do this?" "An apprentice? Really? I never thought I'd get rid of him!" Ravenscorch quickly surmised that what the young one had said was true. Most cats did dislike him.

"This is a proud day for ShadowClan! When we name apprentices, we show that ShadowClan will remain strong and survive through the hardest of times," Yellowstar leaped down from the branch, and looked around to all the surrounding cats, "Gravelkit, from this day forth, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Gravelpaw. Feathersong, I think it's about time for you to have another apprentice, you will be Gravelpaw's mentor. I know you will pass on your wisdom and strength to him, and teach him the skills he needs to be a brave warrior to ShadowClan,"

Feathersong, a small, lithe looking she-cat with odd calico splotches, padded forward, a twinkle in her eye. She touched noses with Gravelpaw, and the brown apprentice shivered with delight.

"Adderkit, from this day forth, until your warrior name is earned by hard work and loyalty, you will be known as Adderpaw. Smolderpelt, you've been looking rather bored of late, you will be his mentor. I know you'll definitely pass on your quick wit and fierceness to him, and teach him loyalty and respect," Ravenscorch noticed how much the leader stressed 'loyalty'. The young one looked like a pawful.

After the two touched noses, Yellowstar sighed, not looking too excited for the next naming, "Spitkit, I now, with a heavy heart, call you Spitpaw until you- maybe- earn your warrior name. Singewhisker, you will be the young one's apprentice. I have a feeling you'll put some sense into him, and rid him of his naivety," Ravenscorch grimaced. This cat was ruthless, not even Novastar was this mean in namings.

Spitpaw, looking less than happy, padded up to his new mentor, a cruel looking orange tabby tom, and tried to reach up to touch noses with him. Singewhisker made a disgusted look, and pulled away, "Do I really _have _to touch noses with this one?" he asked his leader snottily.

She gave him a firm scowl, "Yes, or StarClan will have our guts for fox bait,"

Spitpaw, now looking more down, reached up to touch noses again. Singewhisker held his nose a little lower, but Spitpaw had to stretch to bump his nose. The second they touched, Singewhisker pulled away, and rubbed his muzzle in the ground, wiping his nose with a paw.

"Gross," he muttered.

Ravenscorch could feel the very beginnings of anger stirring in his stomach. This was a special day for the apprentice, not a punishment! He watched Spits' siblings as they bounced around their mentors, asking what to do first. Spitpaw looked up at Singewhisker.

"So, what're we gonna do first?" he asked.

"We? Kid, I took you as my apprentice, don't push your luck," Singewhisker smirked, pushing him away with a paw.

Ravenscorch stood up, and stepped outside of his nest, "You don't need to be such a badger to the little snot," he defended, whiskers trembling.

"Ravenscorch, don't-" Spitpaw protested.

"Oh? Says the kit murderer? If he had been in the nursery when you and your little buddies came, you would have killed him all the same," the snarly tom growled.

"True. But, that is 'if'. That 'if' didn't happen, cat. Let's not talk about what could have happened, and what's happening now. What did the poor fluff ball do to you to make him so hated?" his voice was even, not a note too high or low.

"Well... um... have you looked at him? He's stupid, no brains at all in him. And _annoying_!" a few cats laughed and purred at the exclamation, "No one likes him just because he gets on nerves,"

"Like you're being right now? He's an _apprentice, _barely older than a kit, and it makes you feel high and mighty to bad mouth him? That's some real cunning there, outwording and shaming a six mooner,"

Singewhisker, obviously knowing he was losing, growled low at the Assassin, "I don't have to prove myself to you," he said, his claws flashing from his paws.

"True. But what about your Ancestors? I'm sure they won't be too pleased to have _you_ when you come, after ridiculing this one and depressing him. Then again, Dark Forest always has more room,"

The cat snarled and lurched towards him, claws unsheathed, teeth bared, "I'll teach you to disrespect a warrior!" he roared, bringing his paw down. Yet again, Ravenscorch was left with another bleeding mark. Blood dripped into his eye from the long cut over his brow, and some dripped off his chin from the bridge of his nose.

"Ravenscorch!" Spitpaw gasped.

"That's enough, Singewhisker!"

There was a grumble from the ShadowClan cats when Yellowstar stepped in.

"But Yellowstar!" he whined, "He deserved it!"

Yellowstar flattened her ears angrily and showed her fangs. Singewhisker cowered low on the ground, tail tucked, "So? I need him intact for the Gathering! Now he has leverage against us for defending the apprentice, and you striking him for it! He can use it to soften up the other Clans' hearts!" she yowled at him, "I oughta rip your pelt from your bones for your foolishness!"

And all the time she raged, Spitpaw was pushed up against Ravenscorch in terror, the older cat's blood dripping onto his head. If Ravenscorch had a tail, he'd wrap it around the shivering apprentice.

After a moment, the leader's fur lay flat, and she shook her pelt, still looking peeved, "I still need to choose who will go to the Gathering this night. New apprentices- including Spitpaw- will go with their mentors. I want Hollydance, Twoclaw, Stumpgrowl, Snakerash, Grintooth, and Lightpool as well as Ashstream to accompany me to the Gathering tonight. Ravenscorch, I suggest you make your amends with whatever ancestors you pray to,"

Ravenscorch pawed Spitpaw away, the youngling looking both thankful and hurt, and his muzzle twitched with the ghost of a grin, "No problem,"

-O-

**W00t! Go Ravenscorch, standing up for poor Spitpaw! I love Spits, he's gonna be an awesome plushie! (Not that I can make plushies...v.v) Maybe a pillow design? So, Yellowstar flips out a little, and I assume we're all going to hate Singewhisker soon? Good... hate and plot... hate and plot... R&R, with a cookie on the side? (what's with me and bribing you people with ****interweb cookies...)**


	6. A Trial of Recollections

**Jeeze, I get good reception first chapters, then, boom, no reviews? I'm totally bummed out now... but, then again, it's Friday, and Friday's are always slow...**

-O-

Ravenscorch followed behind Yellowstar, the guards assigned to him until his death flanking him. Despite the fizzle it had caused, Spitpaw had argued that he wanted to walk next to the Assassin to the Gathering. Everycat hated the idea, not that a 'paw would be walking next to a murderer, but rather that the other Clans would see it.

The gray tabby tom was terrified of what was to happen. His carefully laid lie, delicate as a spider's carefully spun web, was to be ripped through like a curious kit paw through the threads of a cobweb. To calm his nerves, he mumbled a barracks song under his breath. It spoke of an old tom, tired and disheveled. He had served his time, and served it well, and now it was time to die.

_That old 'un, he fought long an' hard!_

_(yes sir!)_

_He battled foe after foe,_

_Until he was slow and low,_

_(low!)_

_He-uh, served his time, and he served it well... he was a really great guy..._

_But, now it was time to die._

_Stand strait! Tail stiff! Ears up! Eyes forward!_

_Oh, our leader great and wise... came to lower his rank to the ground..._

_He slunk from the crowd..._

_To the forest he went, to the forest he went,_

_Where he his last days were spent..._

_As he lay dieing, he could see someone a-smiling,_

_Why it was his old mentor before him!_

_He had been low and slow!_

_(low and slow)_

_Battled foe after foe,_

_And he sure did serve his time..._

_But, then came his time. To. Die._

It wasn't really a _cheery _song, but it was something most older cats liked to sing, knowing their time of exile was near... and it reminded Ravenscorch that he had served his Clan, no matter what. Maybe... maybe he would go to the Ancestors, for a job well done?

"I liked that song, Ravenscorch, it made me feel strong," Spitpaw mumbled softly from his left.

He frowned, "It's the song of old cats, kit, not something you should be singing quite yet,"

"But what about you? You're still pretty young, compared to the elders, that is... I'm not a kit," Spitpaw snapped the last part.

Soon, they reached the pebbly shore of the lake, and far ahead, he could see a fallen tree crossing the water to an island.

"That's the tree bridge, the Island is where we have our Gatherings... at least that's what I've heard. I've never been before. I hope I meet someone interesting to talk to in one of the other Clans, everybody hates me here, and I don't want to hang out with the elders, because they're the only cats that like me," Spits fretted, twitching his tail.

Ravenscorch almost wanted to tell him that AssassinClan didn't have elders. Once you get old, you get tossed out to die, therefor keeping the Clan strong, "I'm sure you'll find someone to kit-chat with," he tried to reassure. Why was he even doing this? He knew it was a slight lie... amongst other ones, that is.

"Thanks Ravenscorch. Though, I know you're lying, but I like the vote of confidence. I'll just stick next to you until your trial time," Spitpaw mewed.

Ravenscorch was floored. How could he tell he was lying? "Are you sure I was lying?" he asked.

"Yup," Spitpaw said, kicking a few pebbles with a paw, "you kinda get this smooth look on your face, like you're trying to look normal and telling the truth. If you're from a group of assassins and stuff, you're strait face sucks,"

Ravenscorch couldn't believe that the kit had just did that, "It does not, you're imagining it," maybe... maybe this one had a bit of AssassinClan blood in him? Not many cats could see past his strait face, and those cats ended up dead... like Dawnshadow.

"You keep telling yourself that, maybe you can believe your own lie..." he trailed off, a conflicted look on his face, "Are you scared?"

Wind whistled down the shore, ruffling Ravenscorch's fur, stirring the blood in his ears, "No, there's no need to be afraid. We all die at one point, kid,"

"No, not of dieing, dummy. What happens if you're not found guilty, and you're not killed?" he asked, "I would be terrified, having to go back to a place that I'm hated... oh, wait, never mind, that's already happening to me," he hissed bitterly, fangs flashing in a snarl.

"I'll leave if I'm found innocent. Probably go rogue again," Ravenscorch said.

The Clan trotted up to the log bridge, and the guards nudged Ravenscorch up. He began to pad across when he heard Spitpaw whimper, "I can't swim... I don't want to go across!" Ravenscorch turned around. The little apprentice was halted at the base of the log, shivering. Singewhisker was right behind him, growling.

"Move it, kit, or I'll toss you over," he snarled, threatening to shove the 'paw into the water.

"Spitpaw, come on. It's dry and easy to walk on," but it wasn't Ravenscorch who said it.

Budshell had pushed through the group, and was nudging the apprentice gently. Maybe he wasn't as hated as he thought, "Go on, look, Ravenscorch is up there, he'll catch you,"

Ravenscorch nodded, "I can swim," he said.

This seemed to add more confidence to the youngling, and he looked up, taking a few pawsteps, "You'll get me if I fall?" he asked.

"Yes, now get over here," Ravenscorch was getting impatient.

Spitpaw nodded, and walked forward carefully, much to the relief of his Clan, "It's okay, I can do this," he meowed quietly, voice cracking.

"Don't look down, Spits," Budshell said from right behind him.

Then, he padded right across, and tumbled onto the shore on the island, bumping into Ravenscorch's paws.

"I did it!" he said, tail curling over his back, and his chest puffing out, "Not that you helped much. You can't swim, dummy. I can see your lying face," he said casually as they sauntered away from the bridge.

"Go die in a hole,"

"Walk into a badger set, then," Spits shot back.

Ravenscorch sighed, and shook his head. His guards had surrounded him again, all two of them. They herded him along to a secluded section of the gathering area. Surrounded by a ring of pine trees, a large grassy clearing stretched before the cats, a huge oak tree growing in the center. There were already cats there, smelling of fish.

"I think that's RiverClan," Spits said in a hushed mew from Ravenscorch's side.

Another Clan was starting to file onto the island, smelling of open moors and hares.

"WindClan maybe?" Spits guessed.

"Maybe," Ravenscorch said. He knew it was WindClan. There would be no ThunderClan tonight.

A movement near the center of the island attracted his attention. Yellowstar was climbing up the branches of the oak, two other cats were already sitting in it.

"The leaders! Oh... um , I know that one, he came to our Camp once," Spits said excitedly, pointing his tail to a sleek brown tom to the left of Yellowstar, "That's Sneakstar. He's WindClan. And the other one on Yellowstar's right, that, I think, is RiverClan's leader, her name is Sparkstar. She's new, everybody was surprised when she told she was the leader at last Gathering. They said her name used to be Sparkbright, or at least that's what I was told," Spitpaw said, sitting down on his tail to wash his head.

"Spits, shouldn't you be going to sit with the other apprentices?" Ravenscorch said suddenly, wondering just how bad the youngling's image was getting for sitting next to a murderer.

"So I can be picked on? Please. I know my brothers already spread rumors about me, so why bother?" he grumped back.

Ravenscorch sighed. His pelt began to prickle, his Assassin training setting off warning bells. He turned his head. There were cats from RiverClan watching him. A young looking warrior walked up carefully to say hello, but was snarled back by one of the guards.

"Hey, what's your problem?" he snapped at the guard, pale green eyes flashing.

"Oh, don't go to close to him. That's the murderer," a ShadowClan tom called out.

"_The _Murderer? Why are you letting an apprentice so close to him?" the RiverClan tom gasped.

"'cause I'm not afraid of him," Spitpaw defended instantly, "It's not his fault he murdered- oof!" Ravenscorch pushed him with a paw. Spits stumbled into the grass.

"Shush, kit," he warned.

Something smacked into the back of Ravenscorch's head, and he hissed. Oh, so _now _ his guards were going to do their job.

"Pipe down, murderer, or we'll silence you before trial time," the guard said angrily.

Ravenscorch glowered, and hunched down.

"Spits, why don't you come away from him," it was Budshell, that stupid, annoying she-cat. Where had she come from?

"No," Spitpaw said defiantly.

She gave Ravenscorch a look, as if he could do something about it, "Kit, why don't you go with Budshell," he said finally, pushing the 'paw away.

Spitpaw gave him a hurt look, "What? But, I wanna be with you, I don't want to sit with the other apprentices," he said softly, his eyes round.

"You can sit with me, Spitpaw, you don't need to sit with the other apprentices," Budshell said.

"I guess..." Spits said, his voice heavy.

"Good, come on, the Gathering's about to start,"

Right when she spoke, Yellowstar called the meeting to a start.

"Where in Dark Forest is ThunderClan?" she yowled.

All the gathered cats began to mumble, and whisper amongst themselves, "I don't know," the RiverClan leader, Sparkstar, said anxiously, "Their borders were still fresh, but we haven't bumped into and patrols,"

"We can't possibly think of getting going without ThunderClan here! It's preposterous!" Sneakstar, the WindClan leader, said, his voice haughty and regal.

"Pff," Yellowstar scoffed, "ThunderClan is what's preposterous. They've lost their way in not coming to the Gathering, big deal, let's just get moving!"

"If we must," Sparkstar mewed tensely, "All is well in RiverClan, the river is bursting with fish and bank voles. I have nothing more to report," she said, bowing her head in thanks for both the cats listening, and for StarClan that her Clan was still prosperous.

"WindClan is strong, despite the recent outbreak of whitecough. A border patrol was attacked by a fox a few sunrises ago, and, sadly, one of our older apprentices, Shalepaw, was killed while defending a younger apprentice. May StarClan light his way," Sneakstar said, his tone grievous.

"May they light his way indeed," Yellowstar said.

Ravenscorch couldn't help mumbling a few choice words under his breath, praying to the Ancestors that the young one didn't get lost on the way.

"But, I have other news to discuss," she went on, staring pointedly at the tabby tom.

"Ah, yes, the outsider," Sneakstar said, "The apprentices of your Clan are very loud when it comes to drama. Shall we know the point of it? No cat has been relaying news that makes sense," he kneaded at the tree branch.

"Yes, but who can blame them? They're all angry with this one. Ravenscorch, come forward," Yellowstar beckoned with her tail.

"Oh, you actually brought him here? My, my, my..." Sparkstar said, looking down as the guards brought Ravenscorch up, "Are the henchcats really necessary? He doesn't look too strong,"

Ravenscorch felt his ears burning. How little they all truly knew.

"Yes, I brought him here. For a trial,"

There were gasps from all the Clans.

"My own Clan is still wrapped in their own grief, and cannot think strait for his punishment at the moment, due to his actions... or rather, the actions WindClan forced upon him," Yellowstar snarled, looking at Sneakstar.

"Wha-?" he said, absolutely baffled, "WindClan? What did this cat do that you blame us for?"

"You sent him and a band of four others to our Camp. You knew we had just had a battle with ThunderClan, and thought we were weak! But, no, you didn't send this cat and his squad of petty assassins after _warriors! _You sent him after _kits!_"

Ravenscorch began to wish he could just sink into the ground, and disappear from all this.

Sneakstar stood up, hackles raised, "We did no such thing! Why would we?!"

"Oh, StarClan, you two, don't start fighting..." Sparkstar mumbled from her branch.

"The assassin says he met a border patrol for the orders, your deputy, Snapjaw, gave him his task himself!"

"I did not!" the indignant cry from the WindClan deputy ripped the air.

"That's enough!" Sparkstar yowled angrily, her patient, gentle side finally snapping, "This is a trial for this cat, _not _a session of claw pointing like kits! Let's get on with the sentencing!" she hissed, glaring at the other two leaders.

Yellowstar mumbled under her breath, "Fine. Cat, up on the lowest branch so you can be seen at least,"

Ravenscorch dipped his head, and leaped easily to the lowest branch of the oak, just below Yellowstar's.

"Tell them what you and your cats did, start to finish," she commanded.

"Yes, ma'am. It started several mornings ago, really, me and my squad, four other cats-"

"Their names," Yellowstar snapped at him.

He sighed, "Siege-ear, Biteswift, Gorseshiver an-" he took a deep breath, "and my mate Dawnshadow. We were heading from just above the ShadowClan territory after... another mission we had dealt with much farther along those reaches. We were looking for something to do, maybe get food and a night's shelter from it, when we met the WindClan border patrol. They were suspicious, but the leading cat, who I'm now told is named Snapjaw, wanted our services,"

Gasps of shock rippled through the audience, and whatever cats that were near WindClan suddenly separated, like water and oil does.

"He wanted us to attack ShadowClan, to repay them for driving them out many generations ago, at a place they called The Old Territories. We were to attack the nursery, and kill whom ever was inside. We planned for a few days, then struck. We killed the kits and a queen inside, but were discovered..." he trailed off, the images playing in his mind... "We ran, but soon, my mate Dawnshadow tired, for she was going to have kits of her own, and she ran out of breath. Her brother, Gorseshiver, tried to get her up, but she couldn't move, so we all stayed to fight and keep her safe..." the images played fast, rippling along in his mind like water on a lake.

"But, there were too many ShadowClan cats. They killed little Siege-ear first, he'd only been an As- erm, Warrior for a moon-"

"Warrior?" some cat cried, "What Clan do you hail from?!"

"We didn't come from one. My mother liked the Clan names, because she stayed in the barn nearby for a night during a storm, and met a few barn cats there that worshiped the Clan cats, so she named me in the Clan way, moving me up from kit, to 'paw, to warrior. I did the same with Siege-ear, and Dawnshadow, her brother, and Biteswift, after I met them, decided to take Warrior names too," he said, glad to be off topic for a moment.

"Continue with the story, Assassin," Yellowstar growled.

Ravenscorch settled himself down on the branch a little more comfortably, not excited for the next part of the story, "Biteswift went down right after Siege-ear, and then, Gorseshiver, the big lump of a cat, had his throat torn out. It was just me and Dawnshadow,"

He closed his eyes, hearing her voice in his head _"Ravenscorch! Help me!" "Dawnshadow!"_

"Yellowstar told them to kill one of us, and I got picked up by my scruff. I was glad, because I thought I was going to die... then, a tom grabbed Dawnshadow's hind leg, and pulled her back. I knew then that she was going to die. Some cat in the crowd told the tom to snap her leg, a- and he did..."

_"DAWNSHADOW, NO!" _his own voice echoed in his mind. His eyes saw her writhing on the ground all over again.

"I couldn't move, some one was holding me down, raking my sides every few moments," he turned a little to allow the cats to see the long scratches, the moon turning them silver, "And... then, someone told the cat to kill her, and be done with it. I looked at her, and..."

_"No, Dawnshadow! Fight them!" "I'm sorry love, I'm so sorry,"_

"She told me she loved me," his voice cracked, and he was sure a teardrop actually escaped his eye.

_"So let it be,"_

_ "So let it be,"_

"The tom crushed her throat, and that was the end of it. The ShadowClan cats took me back to their Camp, where I got these," he flicked his ear, and showed his face, "I look upon all you cats now, and I tell you a story, it may not be a good story, but a story nonetheless. I do not plead innocent, for I know I'm not. I learned long ago that the claws can be blamed just as much as the cat. I can only pray you will decide swiftly, and have it done, so I may reunite with Dawnshadow, and be rid of this twisted world, in which cats like myself prowl," he ended.

Ravenscorch's head hung. He was shivering, his eyes wide, bobbed tail pressed tight against his side. Another teardrop leaked down his fur, running onto his nose and stinging the cut Singewhisker had given him.

"Hah, and there it is. A pathetic story from a pathetic cat," Yellowstar sneered, "We all know he's guilty, but, I still wanted a fair trial. Sparkstar, seeing as how you can handle these things better..." Yellowstar said, nodding down at the assembled cats.

Sparkstar sighed, "Alright, you lot. Those who find him guilty, over there, those who find him innocent, there," she pointed with her tail, "I hope you know how much I hate having to do this," she muttered to Yellowstar as the cats slowly made their decisions.

"They listen better to your plans,"

"This can't be a fair trial," a cat yowled from near the base of the tree, "I mean, really, with out ThunderClan here..."

Ravenscorch was _very _glad that they weren't.

When the cats had chosen their sides, Ravenscorch was confused. One cat stood undecided. And that cat was Budshell.

-O-

**Cliff hanger. I love 'em. Stay tuned, and I may update yet again today!**


	7. Guilty

**Well... this is a fine how-do-you-do, eh? I apologize in advance for my random disappearance... my muse took a dump on me, and put all my stories on hold, so, yuh. Here is the new chapter, though, just like I promised... only a month or so late. **

-O-

Budshell hated this. She wanted him to be guilty, have him dead, drowned in the lake, but on the other paw... his story had evoked something inside her. Compassion. If she decided he was guilty, Spitpaw would hate her forever, if she voted innocent, then Spitpaw would be happy, but Ravenscorch would go free.

There was a win lose on both decisions. What to choose, what to choose...

-O-

He watched from a concealed location behind the bracken. He waited. The she-cat chose, and he whisked away, eager to relay the news to Novastar.

-O-

She chose guilty.

Ravenscorch hung his head, thanking the Ancestors. He would be back with Dawnshadow again.

"Well, good," Yellowstar crowed happily from her branch."I'll make arrangements tomorrow for this. Ravenscorch, you may go sit next to your patch fur again. Now that that's over..." she said with an exasperated mew. "ThunderClan evoked war with us a few sunrises ago. Their leader said nothing about the attack. Thankfully, we lost no cats... but, it is strange that they have not shown up for the Gathering, probably too cowardly to fess up. We have three new apprentices in ShadowClan, Gravelpaw, Adderpaw, and Spitpaw. Other than all that, ShadowClan is strong, though, mourning,"

The other two leaders mumbled, and so, the Gathering came to an end.

Ravenscorch sighed softly, and got to his paws, his guards had abandoned him, off to celebrate he supposed.

"Spitpaw, wait!" he flicked an ear at Budshell's desperate voice.

"No! You put him to death!" he could hear the angry mew from Spitpaw.

They were arguing near the bridge, Spitpaw's fur stood on end, and Budshell looked lost. He padded up to them, and Spitpaw turned his huge eyes on the assassin.

"Ravenscorch!" his voice trembled, "I don't want you to die!" the small apprentice barreled into his legs, a tiny wail rattling from his throat.

"Spitpaw-" Budshell tried again.

"No!" he screamed, pulling his tiny face from the side of the tom, "No! You sent him to die! You're no worse than him!" he sniffed, "He's the only one that actually talks to me like I'm normal!" his whine turned into a creaky yowl.

"I care about you, Spits. You may not see it now, but it's for the best," Budshell comforted.

The apprentice puffed up even larger, and sprang away from Ravenscorch, rage radiating off him, "I don't care! I hate you, Budshell! I thought you cared for me. I hate ShadowClan too, and this whole world! I wish I had died along with my momma and siblings!" he cried before turning tail and fleeing over the bridge.

"Great, just great. See what you've done?" Budshell hissed at Ravenscorch.

"He was too attached to me. I didn't do anything," he snapped right back, scrambling over the log bridge.

He stalked along the shore, and one of his guards actually fell instep at his side, and Budshell trotted up to the other.

"So? You should have stayed home where you belonged,"

He ignored her. He didn't want a fight. "I thought his mother was still alive?" he said suddenly, thinking back to what the apprentice had just said.

Budshell stopped in mid-rant. "No. His mother was Oceanfur. Your group killed her in the raid. That's why I'm so surprised that he likes you."

"Then, who are those other two kits? The ones apprenticed with him? And who was the kit he told me about? Snifflekit?" now Ravenscorch was confused.

"Those others were born the same day as him, so they were apprenticed at the same time. He calls them his brothers, but, they aren't. He told you about Snifflekit?" she said, interest in her eyes.

"No, just mentioned him. Why, who is he?"

"Or, rather, who was she. Snifflekit was his sister, but she died from a whitecough infection. She's his imaginary friend now. That's one of the reasons the other 'paws and kits say he's weird," she narrowed her eyes. "He stopped talking to her after he learned your name,"

He frowned. The little nuisance had been keeping secrets.

-O-

"Novastar, this cat bears news of your most prestigious assassin," the she-cat said softly into the den.

Red slitted pupils glittered in the back of the dark cave. "Do tell,"

"My leader, rather unfortunately, his group has been... killed. He is the only living member now," the she cat said, her head bowed.

"Where is he now?" Novastar growled from the depths of her cave.

"He has been captured by the Shadowed Ones, ShadowClan if you must. There was a trial for him, die or live, and it was decided that he die."

"Hmm... thank you, Doeleap, you may have extra from the fresh kill in the morning," Novastar's sweet voice said, a hint of danger on the edges of it's feathery quality.

"Thank you Novastar, this cat is grateful,"

-O-

Ravenscorch settled into his nest, the panic he had been feeling gone. WindClan had protested, but Yellowstar had thought it all a lie. Maybe his plan was working after all.

He lay there, paws tucked under his chest, staring at the stars overhead. They were gorgeous, shimmering happily in the night sky, dancing around the full alabaster moon. He couldn't help but wonder at it's fullness, how it had come to be, and why it chose to hang in the night sky. Where had those craters come from? Had a kitten jumped across it, hollowing out great holes in it's surface?

He loved the mystery of the stars and moon. They fascinated him.

Despite his best efforts, Ravenscorch couldn't help but nod his head head against the edge of the nest, his eyes drooping. Before he knew it, he was a asleep...

...and on the edge of the Camp, a small figure crept.

-O-

_"Ravenscorch... Ravenscorch... Ravenscorch..."_

_ He opened his eyes. He was in a lush clearing, seemingly made out of stars and glitter. Overhead, the moon shone._

_ "Where am I?" he said, crouching down._

_ "Ravenscorch, where did you go?"_

_ "Huh?" he sat up, looking around the clearing._

_ "There you are, silly."_

_ He tilted his head when a lithe she-cat padded forth from the thicket surrounding the meadow. __She came forth, and bumped her nose against his, wafting her scent of herbs and honey into his mouth._

_ "I'm glad I found you, we've been worried," she said, fidgeting with her paws._

_ Ravenscorch was still in a daze, looking around, "Where am I? Who are you?" he asked, finding his voice a a definite echo to it, "Am I dead already?"_

_ She laughed, a light sound like muted birdsong, "No, not yet. You are in the StarClan hunting grounds. I am Spottedleaf, the ancient medicine cat of ThunderClan. I'm sorry I couldn't get any of the old healers from ShadowClan, but they didn't want to see you, so I was sent."_

_ He looked closely at her, and tilted his head. She was made of stars!_

_ "Why am I here?" he meowed._

_ "To talk."_

_ "With...?"_

_ "Me, and someone else you know. Dawn, you can come out now," Spottedleaf called out, "Actually, I was just here to escort your mate, she didn't know the way. Prosperous hunting to you, Ravenscorch, and my your Ancestors look after you." she smiled at him again, and disappeared back into the thicket._

_ The bracken rustled, and a cat he never thought he'd see again padded out. He got to his paws in a daze. "Dawnshadow?" he asked, breathlessly. _

_ She perked up at the sound of her name. "Hi, slugbutt," she purred._

_ He raced forward, and barreled into her, his purring rumbling like thunder. "Dawnshadow!" he cried out again, tussling her to the ground._

_ "Ugh, you lump. How much can you even weigh!?" she laughed when he pinned her down. "I missed you," she whispered, touching her nose to his._

_ "Momma! Can we come out now?" a voice yowled in the bush._

_ Ravenscorch gave her a befuddled look._

_ "Yes, kits, come out and meet your father."_

_ Four kits tumbled out from the bushes, squeaking happily. A she-kit, her coat an odd gray blue with a dull orange stripe running down her back, rushed forward, and crashed into his legs. "Are you really my father? Like, really, really, really?" she asked, her icy blue eyes matching his._

_ "I-" he stumbled, looking over at Dawnshadow. She nodded. _

_ "Yes, I am, Lightkit," he said, his voice trembling._

_ "Ha! I knew it! Or else, you wouldn't have known my name!" she purred. "That'll teach Rowankit!" Lightkit tossed a look at one of her brothers._

_ Ravenscorch gazed over at Dawnshadow. "Why was I called here?" he asked, walking to her side as the kits played in the grass._

_ "I wanted to say hello... and tell you something," she said, a heavily troubled look in her eye._

_ "Oh, well, hello," Ravenscorch snarked lovingly at her._

_ "Shush up, slug brain. You know that trainee, Spitpaw?" she said suddenly._

_ "Yeah, what about him?"_

_ "He's gone." _

_ "What do you mean?" Ravenscorch could feel dread rising in his throat._

_ "He left, he didn't want to live in a Clan of murderers," Dawnshadow sighed._

_ "Stupid 'paw," Ravenscorch groaned._

_ "You need to find him," Dawnshadow said, fixing her mate with a serious look. "Before your execution, you need to find him. It's the only way."_

_ He flicked an ear. "The only way for what?" he asked._

_ "For Novastar to be stopped. She's evil, love. She'll take the Clans soon," Dawnshadow shivered._

_ "What's so bad about that?" Ravenscorch asked, moving a little closer to her._

_ "She'll destroy AssassinClan to do it. You must save Spitpaw, or else, your altered destiny will be crushed."_

_ "Altered destiny? Destroy AssassinClan? You're making no sense!" Ravenscorch said, his voice edgy._

_ "You were never meant to be captured, so the Ancestors changed your fate. Without your sluggy head, Novastar doesn't have a voice of reason anymore. Not even her own deputy. She must be stopped, or AssassinClan will fall."_

_ Ravenscorch sighed. "I just want to die and be with you again, love," he pressed his shoulder against her side._

_ Dawnshadow chuckled dryly. "Still not over me?"_

_ "No, I'll never be."_

_ "Then, it's time to move on."_

_ "But, Dawnshadow-" Ravenscorch started._

_ "No, Ravenscorch. It's time to move on. Now, awaken, and tend to the chaos that has stirred."_

_ Blackness began to swirl around him and Ravenscorch wailed, "No, Dawnshadow!"_

_ Then, he was gone from the clearing, leaving the she-cat and her four rowdy kits alone._

_-O-_

**Choo guys happy now? Good. I want to thank my wonderful beta, orchidcactus, for betaing the chapter, not once, but twice after I'd lost it! Well, I just had to look over my screen, and beg her to do it... and make her a cup of coffee... whatever. Also, I want to thank a certain reviewer who kicked me in the pants, and got me moving again! Drum-roll, please... thank you Blazzer12!**

** And as for all you other reviewers! Thank you for your continued support! Reviews really do help, even a smiley face, or a 'good job' will help, really. Great, now it sounds like I'm begging for reviews... sigh.**

**Have a nice day, guys!**

**Cozzie.**


	8. To my dearest readers

To my dearest readers,

Hia guys. I am sorry, but, I will not be continuing An Assassin's Heart **until further notice.**

I have tried and tried and tried to write fanfiction lately... but, I just can't. It's hard for me to concentrate, and hard for me to juggle ideas around these days. I'm not too sure what's happened... the spark is just gone, to where, I do not know. It saddens me that I have lost this thing, it feels like I've lost a close friend.

And, until further notice, I will be leaving the Fanfiction community entirely. This note has been posted in my other stories in progress as well. Even if I don't owe half of you guys this temporary goodbye, you all deserve to be told why I'm leaving. You do not deserve to just be left in the dark, I'm just not that cruel.

There are tears on this keyboard as I type to you. It truly does hurt to leave, but, I've been tearing my hair out lately to try and get chapters out, and it's not been clicking for me like it used to.

I want to thank you all for following me since the beginning, in August of last year, and enduring my bad writing ;) It's been hard, and would have been harder without you guys encouraging me.

My readers; you have been there more or less. I know, this was just another bad fanfiction, but I am honored for you guys to have even looked over it. Even those who did not review, I thank you.

And so, (with all that silly drama out of the way) I say goodbye. To my readers. To my fans. To my reviewers. To Fanfiction itself. I may see you again in the near or far future, and if I do, I'll certainly have some fresh ideas!

Goodbye guys! I'll see you soon or not!

- Cozzie.


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